NFL Predictions Week 3: Picks and Odds Advice for Latest Schedule

The third NFL Sunday of the season brings a wild mixture of games, with a few even spreads and three that have reached double digits. 

With injuries quickly mounting in this NFL season, there's a lot to keep track of in terms of the matchups this week. We have you covered with the spreads and selections for all the Week 3 games, along with a few top picks and a game that's best to avoid. 

Matchup	Spread	ATS Pick
Cincinnati at Baltimore	BAL -1	Bengals
New Orleans at Carolina	CAR -10.5	Saints
Oakland at Cleveland	CLE -3	Browns
Atlanta at Dallas	Even	Cowboys
Tampa Bay at Houston	HOU -7	Buccaneers
San Diego at Minnesota	MIN -1	Vikings
Jacksonville at New England	NE -14.5	Jaguars
Philadelphia at New York Jets	Even	Eagles
Pittsburgh at St. Louis	Even	Steelers
Indianapolis at Tennessee	IND -3	Colts
San Francisco at Arizona	ARZ -7	Cardinals
Buffalo at Miami	MIA -2.5	Dolphins
Chicago at Seattle	SEA -15.5	Seahawks
Denver at Detroit	DEN -3	Lions
Kansas City at Green Bay	GB -7	Packers

Top Picks 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans: Buccaneers +7

Even if the Buccaneers hadn't upset the Saints on the road last week, what exactly have the Texans done to earn a seven-point edge over anybody?

Any team with a rookie quarterback is a volatile situation, but the Texans' QB situation doesn't instill much confidence either. 

As a general rule, never give a touchdown spread in the NFL unless you're going with the obvious quarterback advantage. And in this case, it's too early to give an edge to either Ryan Mallett or Jameis Winston. 

According to ScoresAndOdds.com, Houston is just 5-12 against the spread at home over the past three seasons. With that in mind, it feels like a good bet to take the points in this one.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans: Colts -3

Unless you believe Andrew Luck has simply lost it for some reason, there are a lot of trends in the Colts' favor in this game. 

According to ScoresAndOdds.com, the Colts are an impressive 10-0 against the spread within the AFC South over the past three seasons. And in that same span, the Titans are 1-9 against the division. 

Furthermore, the Titans are just 2-10 against the spread at home since the start of the 2013 season. 

It's been a rough start for Luck—he ranks 30th out of 32 qualifying quarterbacks in total QBR—but a return to form should make this an easy win for the Colts. 

Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots: Jaguars +14.5

Two touchdowns is a massive spread in the NFL, especially against a Jaguars team that appears to be much improved. 

Dating back to last season, the Jaguars are 3-4 in their last seven games and were within two touchdowns in all four losses. 

Jacksonville was outscored by 14 or more in seven of its first 10 games a season ago, but things settled down after the bye in Week 11. Since that bye, only one opponent (Indianapolis) would have covered a 14.5-point spread. 

Over the past three seasons, New England has been a double-digit favorite just twice and failed to cover in both games, according to ScoresAndOdds.com.

Game to Stay Away From

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks (-15.5)

Not only is 15.5 an enormous spread to cover (even with Jimmy Clausen as the opposing quarterback), but there are just too many unknowns in this game. 

Normally, Seattle would be a good bet to build an early lead and let Marshawn Lynch milk the clock on the ground for the second half. But according to ESPN.com's Sheil Kapada, Lynch is a game-time decision because of a calf injury. 

Without Lynch, Chicago might be a good bet to cover, but the Bears have their own injury issues. 

"

Week 2 Inactives: • Bears WR Alshon Jeffery • Browns QB Josh McCown • Rams RB Todd Gurley • Titans TE Delanie Walker

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 20, 2015"

The Bears have officially ruled Alshon Jeffery out for Sunday's game, which raises doubts about their ability to cover the spread even if Lynch were missing on the other side. 

Key injuries and a double-digit spread are a tough combination in the NFL. It's best to just avoid this matchup.